CMSN
by RecklessPoet
Summary: In a time when peace is still young in the world of hunters and huntresses small wars are common, along with the Grimm that follow. Hope is scarce and the darkness is strong. But the light of hope shines bright in the eyes of team CMSN - Team Crimson. Along with other legendary teams, CMSN fights for peace and future prosperity. But in such turmoil, who can be trusted?
1. Introductions part 1

Around eighty years before the actions and adventures of team RWBY, what was then known as the Kingdom of Mantle and the other three kingdoms – Vacuo, Vale and Mistral – were engaged in a Great War against one another. After years of bloodshed, the four kingdoms signed a truce on the island of Vytal. The end of the Great War led to a period of peace for all four kingdoms. The newfound peace was celebrated with the Vytal Festival, a biennial event where the people of Remnant gather to celebrate their unity and diversity.

Following the end of the Great War, four new academies were created and each of the four kingdoms to train Huntsmen and Huntresses, warriors trained specifically to fight the Grimm. From these academies many great huntsmen and huntresses have, and legendary teams have been formed. This is the story of one of those teams. The events of these stories took place around 35 years before Ruby Rose, Weiss Shnee, Blake Belladonnna, and Yang Xaio Long were born.

 **Crim**

 _The view of Vale is breathtaking,_ Crim wrote into a small notebook. _Go up high enough, everyone looks the same. Everyone looks equal._ He snapped the book shut and placed his pen into a small holster on its spine. He was standing by one of the large windows of the Beacon air-carrier, nose pressed against the glass. His breath fogged it up. He smiled lopsidedly.

"Wow," the young man whispered.

"Hey you! Blondie!" a voice called. Crim turned to look for the caller. The source of the voice was a large adolescent, who was about half a head taller than Crim.

"Hi! My name's Crim. What's yours?" The large young man was dressed in the latest Vale fashion, rather expensive apparel. He was surrounded by more young men and women dressed similarly.

"Bruno. You're not from around here, are you?" he asked. Crim grinned.

"Nope! How could you tell?" he asked cheerily. The large boy sneered.

"Your rags." Crim looked down and examined his clothes. He was wearing black cargo pants, a red and white sleeveless vest, a red combat jacket, and combat boots. He frowned.

"These aren't rags... " Crim said. Bruno laughed.

"Could've fooled me." he sneered. Those in similar clothes to Bruno laughed. People took notice of the crowd and came to join in. Crim noticed that he and Bruno were enclosed by a ring of curious teenagers. He smiled his lopsided grin again.

"That's the point," Crim said. A confused look found its way onto Bruno's face.

"Explain." he demanded. Crim gestured at himself.

"I happen to be wearing the latest Vacuo combat armour. And don't tell anyone, but... " he leaned close to whisper to Bruno, "... it's actually invisible." The crowd chuckled, but Bruno became angry.

"Don't lie! There's no such thing!" he yelled. Crim shrugged.

"I'll prove it. Take a few swings at me. But I assure you, I won't feel a thing." he taunted. He got the desired effect and Bruno fumed. The now red-faced young man pulled his hand into a fist and drew it back.

"Fine! Let's go, Blondie!" he yelled, throwing his fist at Crim. It would've been an incredible punch, had Crim not stepped slightly to the side and dodged it. Bruno tumbled onto the floor. The crowd laughed as Crim began bowing.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said with a flourish. "Vacuo's latest invisible armour!" Crim received more laughs along with a round of applause. He continued bowing as Bruno stood up behind him, and readied another punch. Using the element of surprise, he tried to hit Crim again, but found himself tumbling into a slightly taller black-haired young man as Crim dodged again. Crim bowed again, and the crowd laughed. Bruno looked at the taller student, and snarled as he recognised him.

"Malachite, " he said icily. The boy known as Malachite grinned.

"Hey Bruno. Not getting beaten again, are you?"

 **Malachite**

Sensing that the joke was over, the crowd dispersed. Only Bruno and his group, Crim, and Malachite remained. Malachite patted Bruno on the cheek and shoved him away.

"Stay outta Trouble, Bruney," he chirped. Bruno muttered something unintelligible, then walked away with his cronies. Malachite crossed his arms and turned to Crim, who had stuck his hand out.

"Malachite, right?" Crim asked. Malachite nodded, shaking his hand.

"That's right. Malachite Emral. But everyone calls me Mal. And you are?"

"Crim. Crim Solan." The young men smiled at each other.

"Quite a view," Crim said, returning to the window. Malachite stayed back.

"Aren't you gonna come look?" Crim asked, turning to his new friend. Malachite shook his head.

"Heights make me dizzy. I prefer to have my feet on the ground."

"That explains your weapon choice." Crim pointed to the weapon on Malachite's back. It was a dark green, mechanical, double-bladed battle axe. The blades were broader than those of a normal axe, and there were fist sized holes in them, near the shaft of the axe head. Malachite looked to where the blade was, behind his thigh. He shrugged.

"I guess. Though I built this because I love the weight of it. I call it The Priest."

"Why's that?" Crim asked.

"Because it delivers the Grimms' final rights," Malachite answered with a grin. Crim laughed.

"It looks pretty teched out. What's special about it?" he asked.

"First off, IT is a SHE. And second, you'll see in the trials arena."

"What's that?" Crim asked.

"You'll see."

Malachite and Crim walked down the windowed corridor as they conversed loudly. A black cloaked eavesdropper stepped out from behind a support and sighed.

"People are stupid," he said. He strolled toward the window, frowned at the city beneath him, and walked away.

Crim stared at the Beacon campus, his jaw dropping. Malachite just grinned.

"Yeah," he said. "It's something."

"Something? Mal, it's the most astonishing thing I've ever seen!" Malachite laughed.

"You really aren't from here, are you?"

Crim shook his head.

"I'm from Vacuo," he said. "I lived in a small village in right in the center of the desert."

"Did you go to an academy?" Crim shook his head.

"My father taught me how to fight. He helped me forge this," Crim said as he drew a red longsword from the sheathe on his back. It was smooth and highly polished. There was a gem-like sphere at the base of the hilt, the handle was studded with small metal buttons, and a dark rod shot up the center of the blade, from the large pommel to the beginning of where the blade began to point. It was an impressive device. Malachite let out a low whistle.

"That's one hell of a sword. Where'd you get the parts?" he asked. Crim thought for a moment.

"I got the pristera, a special metal, from the mine in my town, the crystal from a mineral deposit up in the mountains, the hilt I fashioned from some super powerful metal I found on a body in the desert…"

"Wait, you built this from scratch?" Malachite asked, amazed.

"Yup. Didn't you build yours?" Crim inquired,

"I bought the parts and altered them a little, then put it together, but I didn't forge the entire thing. That's amazing!" Malachite gushed. Crim blushed.

"Go on," said Malachite.

"I got the conducting metal for the lightning rod from my father's workshop. He was the town smith," Crim explained.

"Lightning rod?!" Malachite exclaimed. Crim grinned. He held the sword out in front of him and breathed deeply. His body took on a bluish heugh. Suddenly, the blade began to hum, and electricity crawled over it. Crim opened his eyes and quickly slammed Malachite with the blunt of his sword. Malachite, unprepared for the blow, was sent sprawling across the tiles. His chest was numb where the blade had hit him. He slowly stood up and panted for breath.

"That give you a good demonstration?" Crim laughed. "These buttons on the hilt conduct electricity. The gem amplifies my semblance, which is electrification in case you hadn't guessed. The charge is sent up through the lightning rod," Crim explained, tapping the dark metal in the middle of his blade. Malachite grunted and pulled his axe off of his back.

"Impressive," he said. "Now let's see whose weapon is stronger." Both young men stood in combat stances, ready to brawl, when they heard a sharp bark.

"Solan! Emeral! Desist at once!" it called. Malachite instantly put his weapon away and looked at the floor, but Crim only held his sword to the side and examined the owner of the voice. A middle-aged woman was striding towards the pair. She wore a light blue dress, belted, and a short dark blue cape with a hood. She had silver hair.

"What on earth do you think you're doing, Emeral? Fighting on the first day! Well I never. And you, Solan," she stared at Crim with snake-eyes. "I don't know what the rules are in Vacuo, but I know that brawls are not tolerated here at Beacon," she hissed.

"Wait, are you Fray Goodmother?" Crim asked. A flash of rage shot across the woman's face.

"That's Miss Goodmother, child!" she said, pulling Crim, who was a fair amount taller than herself, down to her height. "I don't want any trouble from you, Crim Solan, understand? Now get to the hall. You're late for the headmaster's welcome." The boys quickly made their way to the main hall, just in time for the headmaster's speech.

"Good morning, students. Welcome to Beacon academy!" he called, opening his arms in a welcoming gesture. A small cheer rose from the students.

"My name is Professor Merin… "

 **Stele and Naiv**

After the headmaster's speech, the first year students were split into groups of sixteen and taken to different locations. Crim and Malachite found themselves in the same group and stuck together as they were taken to a large, circular pit. Goodmother was their supervisor.

"Ladies, gentlemen and not so gentlemen," she said, glancing harshly at Crim and Malachite. "You will now be competing in sparring matches against each other to decide your teams for the rest of your time here at Beacon. To those of you who are sceptical at how well this method of choosing works, trust us. We've put out many famed hunter and huntress teams. Now, we'll begin the first match… Malachite Emral and Stele Arnet." Malachite grinned and jumped down into the ring. He waited for his opponent. A shorter young man with spiked, grey-blonde hair, jumped into the ring. His eyes were grey, and he wore a black cloak. The two weighed each other up and then took their places in the ring.

"There are no rules to this fight," Goodmother called. "Just give it your all. Ready?" Malachite cracked his knuckles and Stele threw off his cloak, revealing a black, leather combat suit, fitted with multiple utility belts.

"Begin!"

Before Malachite could even move, Stele was upon him. Dust sprayed into the air as he sprinted to the larger young man and hurled himself into the air. Blinded by the sun, Malachite couldn't see Stele as he twirled in the air, before smashing his leg onto Malachite's head. The world became a blur as Malachite fell to his hands and knees, before he received a savage kick to the ribs that sent him sprawling along the arena floor. As he recovered, he coughed up blood. Stele ran in for another kick, but Malachite caught his foot and sent him tumbling overhead, to crash into the ground. With this new opportunity gained, Malachite pulled his axe off of his back. The blades extended out of the head as he threw said head out to extend the pole.

"Alright, let's fight for real!" he yelled. Stele heaved himself off the floor and produced two large, triangular kunai. The kunai looked extremely modernised and shone black. The blades were thick, their edges lined with purple crystal, ending in pure crystal hooks. Malachite grinned. He had the bigger weapon. He ran, axe head behind him. Stele charged too, spinning the blade in his left hand so that it was upside down. As the pair met in the center of the arena, Malachite swung his axe in an arc to hit Stele, who took a step back to dodge, and Malachite then hit him with with the bottom of the pole. Stele fell to one knee, and Malachite tried to hit him with the face of the axe. Stele jumped over it, and sliced at Malachite's shoulder. When he landed behind the boy, he swept at his legs with his own, and Malachite toppled over. Stele tried to drive his blades into Malachite's shoulders but only managed to gash the same one he sliced earlier, as Malachite rolled away. The two then stood up and began to attack each other viciously. Stele matched Malachite blow for blow using a spinning technique that utilised the opposite-facing blades. They clashed for several moments, and then stopped, panting. They still had two minutes to fight. Malachite dropped his head to cough, and Stele was upon him again. Instead of attacking with blades, he grabbed Malachite's injured shoulder and threw him towards the floor, then jumped backwards. He grinned. Malachite stood up and noticed a tingling sensation in his arm.

"Feel that?" Stele said, dropping his combat stance. "That's your arm losing it's ability to move. In a short while, you'll be totally paralysed." Malachite was aghast.

"How did you do that through my aura?" he asked. Stele raised a blade.

"The crystal lining my Weavers cuts away at aura. Your shoulder was armourless when I touched it. Paralysis is my semblance," Stele explained. Malachite gritted his teeth. His arm was numbing fast. He quickly adjusted his axe. The blades were pushed each other, so that the axe became somewhat one-sided, and Malachite gripped the pole through the hole in the axe head. He then flipped the bottom half of the pole upwards and it folded onto itself. The pole was hollow.

"I didn't want to use this on day one but… I won't lose!" Malachite yelled. Flames spouted out of the hollow pole in a wide spray, enveloping Stele.

"That's enough!" yelled Goodmother. The flames stopped. Stele was on his knee, slightly scorched.

"Malachite wins!"

The group of students applauded, and Malachite folded his axe back behind him. He walked stiffly over to Stele, who hadn't got up. He extended his hand.

"Great fight!" Malachite said cheerfully. Stele looked up. Then he smiled, and took Malachite's hand, which then hoisted him onto his feet.

"You two go rest. Unparalyze Malachite, Stele," Goodmother ordered. The beaten and bruised new friends walked out of the ring and collapsed under a tree and began to talk. Goodmother smiled and turned to the other students. "Next up…"

Crim sat and watched fight after fight, anxious to get in the ring and show his worth. He nervously dragged a whetstone up and down his sword, even though it had never dulled before. He kept the whetstone for good luck. Several fights went by. Only one caught Crim's eye like Mal vs Stele. It was between Bruno and a rather un-intimidating girl. She had completely annihilated Bruno in a flurry of attacks. He hadn't even managed to block. Finally, it was Crim's turn.

"Next in the ring… Crim Solan and Naiv Bleu," Goodmother called. Crim stood and looked for his opponent, who had also stood up. Naiv was a tall, rather lanky young man with short, curly blonde hair, a kind face with deep blue eyes that suggested high intellect. He wore a fabric tunic with leather over-armour. Crim smiled. His sword would tear right through the leather. With an arrogant smile, Crim jumped into the ring and waited for Naiv, who was cautiously climbing down the wall of the arena. The two stood and faced each other. Crim hadn't had a chance to see Naiv's weapon, but refused to let this bother him.

 _If I just keep on my toes, he can't surprise me._

"Ready?" Goodmother called for what could have been the hundredth time.

"Begin!" Crim dashed across the arena floor without drawing his weapon. He wanted to shock Naiv with this brash move, but his opponent's face remained neutral. Slightly nervous now, Crim ducked low and aimed a punch at Naiv's gut, but was stopped as he took an elbow to his back. The blow was so powerful that it sent Crim smashing into the arena floor, shattering it. Dust rose and blocked the audience's view of the fight. Crim rose to his knees and coughed blood onto the floor.

 _What was that about not being surprised?_ Crim asked himself. He closed his eyes to slits as he tried to see Naiv through the dust. There was a quick whizzing sound before he was hit in the chest by something hard and sharp. His armour and aura protected Crim from any actual damage, but he was sat back on the floor. He looked down at what had struck him. It was an arrow. And more interestingly, it began to disappear. It was made of aura.

"Shit."

Crim jumped up and began dodging arrows erratically as they flew through the dust cloud. All of them were a translucent blue.

 _I have to get out of this dust,_ Crim thought as an arrow flew past his head. He crossed his arms in front of his face, hoping that his bracers would block any arrows, and ran towards where he thought Naiv was. As he crashed through the dust, arrows deflecting off of his forearms, he saw Naiv standing about a meter to the right of him. The boy was aiming a bow at Crim. Crim didn't get a chance to see the bow properly, as he instinctively dove forward to dodge another arrow. As he quickly rose, he drew his sword just in time to block another few arrows. Naiv paused.

"HA!" Crim panted. "Gotcha now! I can block anything you shoot at me." Naiv considered this for a moment. Then proceeded to take an arrow from the full quiver on his back and loaded it onto his bow. The arrowhead was thicker than most, and had a red orb in it's center. For a moment Crim lost his confidence. Naiv saw his cue and fired the arrow. Crim deflected it. As his blade touched the arrowhead it exploded into a swirling mass of fire, and engulfed him. Crim's aura protected him from the fire, but he stumbled backwards out of it gripping his arm. Though it was not damaged, it felt badly burned.

 _Damn it, I need to get a hit in,_ Crim said to himself. _Maybe if…_

He began to channel his electric aura to his limbs, and they numbed slightly. This would be unseen, of course, so no one would be able to expect it later on. His muscles bulged slightly under his clothes.

"Right," Crim said, gripping his sword tightly. "Let's go!" Crim rushed forward with new speed, and Naiv only managed to load an arrow when Crim had closed the gap between them. Crim slashed upwards with his blade and then followed with a spinning slash that caught Naiv in the ribs. Naiv was sent backwards, but didn't fall, though he clutched his bruised torso and breathed heavily. Crim smiled and rushed forward again to continue the onslaught. Naiv prepared himself this time. He folded the bow onto itself, making the tips clicked into place automatically. As Crim attempted to slice into Naiv's neck, the latter blocked the blade with his new weapon. Crim examined it. Naiv's bow was extraordinary. Whilst the bow's long grip was rather ordinary, protruding from either side of it (top and bottom) were short blades. The blades' edges continued down and up the bow, before becoming another barb about halfway, then continuing again. It was highly modern looking, and the metal it was made of shined dark blue. Once folded over, the blades met and the weapon looked like a cross between a barbed pike and a longsword. It was an impressive weapon. Crim gritted his teeth and shoved himself away from Naiv. He began a ruthless combination of spinning slashes and stabs. Almost robotically Naiv parried and blocked every hit, though he wasn't fast enough to counter. The two were locked in a stalemate for a few moments. Then Naiv released his bow from its locked position and it swung violently to transform back to its original sharp. The sudden movement caught Crim off guard and pushed him a few inches away from Naiv. A few inches were enough for Naiv to notch an arrow before Crim could recover. This arrow had a blue head. Crim wasn't anxious to find out the effect of the arrow so dodged to the side instead of blocking. He heard an explosion behind him, but kept his focus on Naiv, who had retreated a few steps back. Dodging another arrow, Crim saw Naiv fold his bow up again.

 _Not this time,_ Crim thought. As he rushed forward, he surged a short burst of electricity into his blade. The entire thing split down the middle. Crim now held two thinner swords, almost like katanas. He said the surprise in his opponent's face and grinned. _Here we go._ With the sword in his left hand Crim struck Naiv's blade and pushed it to the side. He then jumped, still blocking, and slammed the flat of the blade in his right hand into Naiv's face. Naiv fell onto his back, and his weapon slid behind him. Crim pushed Naiv down with his foot and pointed a blade at his throat. They stared at each other for a moment. Then Naiv smiled and looked at Crim's ankle. Crim looked down and saw… _Ice?_ The ice was creeping up his foot slowly. Crim panicked and began to tug at his leg but it wouldn't budge. Naiv rolled out of Crim's reach, stood up, dusted himself off, and retrieved his bow. He notched another blue arrow and aimed it at Crim, who was screaming curses that only the Vacuo-born students understood.

"Enough," Goodmother announced, clearly amused. "Victory goes to Naiv. Unfreeze Mr Solan, please."

"Sure," Naiv said, speaking for the first time. His voice was soft, reserved. By now, Crim stood, arms crossed, his face contorted into an ugly frown as the ice gripped his waist.

"I can't feel my legs…" he muttered. Naiv notched a red arrow.

"Cold tends to do that," he remarked. "Now hold still." Crim noticed now that Naiv wore a small visor over his right eye. It was attached to his ear, and looked like a small computer before connecting to a blue glass screen over his eye.

"So that's how you saw me, huh?" Crim laughed. Naiv smiled and nodded.

"Built it myself," he said. Crim grinned.

"No kidding…" he said thoughtfully. Naiv loosed the arrow and Crim blocked his face from the heat of the fire. His pants were now soaked.

"Hey Crim! Are you wet because of the ice or is that all from when you pissed yourself?"

Crim darkened.

"Shut up, Mal!" Crim yelled. He turned to Naiv. "C'mon," he said, walking over to Malachite and Stele. "Warriors who survive their encounters with each other should be comrades," Crim lay back on the grass and closed his eyes. "And if you're gonna be my comrade, you may as well tell me about yourself. And by the way," Crim opened one eye. "You don't have a choice here." Naiv smiled, and was about to speak when Goodmother approached the four of them.

"Certainly not," she said, grinning. Crim noticed that Malachite tensed up whenever Goodmother came near him. "Since that was our last match of the day, we'll be moving on to the second part of our team decisions," she said. "Blacrock." Malachite's jaw dropped.

"What? I thought that was only for senior finals!" he cried. Goodmother looked at him sternly.

"This next round will involve pairs of you climbing Blackrock, an inactive volcano to the North of here." Stele and Mal looked at each other. Crim and Naiv did the same. Goodmother smiled.

"It seems you already know who your partners are. Excellent," she said. "The airbus leaves in an hour. Collect your gear from the main hall. You'll need it," Goodmother turned to walk away. "You wouldn't want to starve to death if you aren't killed by Grimm." Malachite swallowed hard, but Crim began to brighten up.

"Vale is awesome…"


	2. Introductions part 2

"Fuck…" Crim cursed, gazing at the peak of Blackrock. Naiv swiftly punched him in the gut, but didn't look at him.

"Don't say that," he said simply as Crim crumpled to the ground in a retching fit. Malachite laughed. Stele let out a low whistle.

"That's a biiiig mountain... " he said. Other first year students nodded in agreement.

"Indeed it is," Professor Merin said. No one quite knew when or how he had arrived. He turned to face the throng of students.

"At the top of Blackrock there are certain idols that you and your partner will have to retrieve, along with a white and red flag for the first pair to reach the top. But be warned. Blackrock is a dangerous place, and the climb is long and treacherous. You will have a maximum of three days to complete your task," he announced. Every student scoffed, aside from Naiv who still had his face set, and Crim who thrashed about the ground gasping for air. Merin coughed politely and gestured towards Naiv, who jabbed Crim in the same place as before. Crim breathed heavily and slowly rose to his feet, then attempted to strangle Naiv, who punched him in the face with the back of his fist. Crim went down. Naiv hadn't looked. Merin sighed.

"... as I was about to say, the first pair to complete the task will receive transport back to Beacon. Everyone else is walking," The students moaned in protest.

Fray Goodmother led each pair to a different part of the base of Blackrock. This was a timely process. Crim drew in the sand with a stick while Naiv fiddled with his visor. They were impatient.

"You'd better be fast," Crim warned Naiv. "I'm highly competitive." Naiv laughed.

"Don't worry, you won't have to worry about me." he said. Naiv pulled a heavy black arrow from his quiver. There was a rung just before the feather. Naiv flipped a small hatch in his bracer and pulled out a small but strong hook attached to a sturdy wire. He clipped it to the rung and drew his bow. Crim gave him a questioning look but Naiv just smiled.

 _Initiates ready?_ Goodmother's voice echoed hollowly through the minds of the nervous students. It made Stele's head hurt. He didn't like it.

 _Climb!_ Crim began to run up the steep mountain. Naiv's arrow whizzed past his face and stuck somewhere high up above him. A second later, Crim was grabbed by a flying Naiv and dragged up the hill.

"God-OOF-dammit-AGH-NAIV!" Crim yelled as he crashed into every rock and tree on the way to the arrow. Naiv smiled quietly.

Malachite and Stele used a similar method to begin their arduous climb up Blackrock. Hidden within the thick knife heads and handles were small, super strong chains, powered by a small motor. Stele pulled a small trigger on the handle, and the knife-head shot out and stuck into the mountain above the pair, who were then pulled up the mountain by the rapidly retracting chains. The process was repeated until late morning. The sun beat down upon Malachite and Stele harshly, and it almost felt like a physical beating, and the pair took a break in a shallow cave full of flat rocks. A large tree cast shade over the flat piece of rock sticking out of the mouth of the cave. Malachite collapsed onto his behind and tossed off his breastplate. Stele examined the armour. Malachite wore green plate armour, with black edges. It was simple armour, with no frills, but it was modified to allow quick and large movements. Each piece of plate was separated, and there was one piece for each part of the body: gauntlets, upper arm plate, shoulderguards, a full chestpiece that extended up the back of his neck, a multitude of leg pieces, and a pair of boots. The dark green armour shone. It was kept in good condition. Stele saw that underneath his armour, Malachite wore a black kevlar body suit. Stele noticed metal pads in specific places on the arms and chest of the suit. Malachite noticed him inspecting them.

"They're magnets," he explained. Stele gave a questioning look. Malachite picked up a piece of plate and showed the underside to Stele. There was an identical magnet. Stele smiled and nodded in approval.

"Where'd you get it?" he asked.

"My little sister made it for me,"

"That's surprising,"

"It wouldn't be if you knew her. She's amazing with steel." Stele grinned suggestively. Malachite scowled.

"Don't be an asshole. Do you want to hear this or not?" Stele rolled his eyes and indicated his want to listen.

"I used to have some average generic armour. I was sparring with my sister and she smashed it open… " Stele's eyes widened. "She's pretty scary," Malachite laughed. "Anyway, she told me that it'd embarrass her if I got killed because of my reckless attacks so she made me the perfect armour." Stele stared out over the gigantic trees of the Emerald Forest. The air inside the cave was cool. Then he spoke.

"So, is she single-" Stele received a smack to the head.

On the opposite side of the mountain (which was still shadowed slightly), Naiv massaged a bruise on his thigh. Crim's head had crashed against it during their rapid ascent. It was really annoying. The pair rested on the branch of a massive tree jutting out over a crevice. Crim had chosen this resting spot, much to Naiv's dismay. He was afraid of heights, so leant against the thick tree trunk. Crim, on the other hand, lay sprawled along the branch, nursing his various bumps.

"You're such an asshole," he was saying as he gently rubbed a nasty bruise on his bare shoulder. His combat jacket lay next to him.

"Would you have followed me if I'd told you my plan?" Naiv asked. Crim reluctantly shook his head. "And look how far we've come in half a day." Crim gazed over the landscape below. In the distance he could just see the tower at Beacon.

"Smartass…" he muttered. Naiv smiled. Crim fought with the wind to keep his hair out of his eyes. Then he put his red combat jacket back over his black vest and stood. His now-ripped jeans were tucked into his combat boots, which were covered in dust. He looked just like someone from Vacuo. Naiv laughed at this.

"What now?" Crim asked, irritated, as he strapped his sword and sheath onto his back.

"I'm just thinking about how you're from Vacuo," Naiv replied. Crim scowled.

"And what's funny about that?" he asked.

"Nothing, nothing. Sorry," Naiv added. "Tell me about it. About life in Vacuo." Crim thought for a moment.

"It's not as fancy as Vale. The people are simpler..." Naiv laughed again. "...but also hardier. We survive the sun. It's nearly three times hotter there. I lived in a large village called Zill. We made our money by trading gold, forged items, jewelry… that kind of stuff. My father- well, he's actually my uncle, but he raised me, I never knew my dad- was the smith. He taught me how to forge and how to fight. My community was an old one- I was the youngest. Our shaman foretold that I would become a great warrior, so my village saved for years and eventually sent me to Beacon."

"Where did you learn?"

"From the Shaman. She taught me how to read and write, and offered me many books about the history of Vacuo and Remnant. She also taught me about my lineage and…" Crim raised his palm and a tiny ball of blue electricity hovered in it, "my semblance."

"Is your semblance unique to you?"

"No, apparently it's a family thing. In each generation of the Solan one man in the family has had it, and he passes I down to one of his sons, though I only know that because of the Shaman."

Naiv looked at Crim with interest.

"You weren't going all out yesterday, were you?" he asked. Crim shook his head.

"I have a bad habit of not fighting properly until I'm against the ropes," Crim grinned sheepishly. Naiv sighed.

"Tell me," Crim said.

"About?" Naiv asked.

"You. If we're going to be partners I have to know more than the fact that you're an asshole and an archer." Naiv closed his eyes and smiled.

"I'm from Vale. I was born here. I've lived here all my life. My family is rich, but not like the Shnees. We live modestly. My parents are great. As long as I've lived I've be once been told who or what to be. I've never been questioned for my hobbies- though I have no questionable ones- or my likes and dislikes. I'm exactly who I want to be. When I picked up a bow for the first time I was nine.

"My parents paid for lessons and we discovered that I had a talent. So we nurtured it and trained it." Naiv paused for a bit. "I've come to Beacon because I want to make the world safe for people who can't fight like us. Those with strength have a duty to those without." Crim smiled.

"You're a regular hero, huh?" he asked. Naiv laughed.

"If you say so." The sun was now directly over the mountain, and the heat simmered over the ground. Naiv thought it would be unwise to start traveling again. Crim on the other hand seemed raring to go. He hopped out of the tree and strode back into the sunlight.

"C'mon, let's keep moving. We need to cover as much ground as possible by night." Naiv squinted at the sun.

"Crim, we still have plenty of time. It's only noon. Besides, don't you think it's it's little ho-" Naiv realized the stupidity of his question and shut his mouth. Crim smiled and drew his sword, then propped it against his shoulder. "Evil creatures appear once the heat disappears. We should move while we can still focus on going up. You're a city boy," he added. "you wouldn't know these things." Naiv rolled his eyes and stepped over to Crim.

"C'mon," Crim said. "If we walk, you won't sweat as much. Then he turned and began marching up the mountain, whistling a mirthy tune.

The last rays of light unblocked by the steep cliff of Blackrock shone on Malachite's armour, and fruitlessly attempted to dry the blood on his chestpiece. Slain beowolves lay on either side of him and Stele, and more live ones paced around the pair. They had been ambushed whilst walking about a flat piece of rock full of trees. Although the duo had dispatched two thirds of the large pack rather quickly, they were both panting now, and the beowolves showed no intent to leave.

"Can't you just paralyze them?" Malachite asked. Stele shook his head.

"I can only slow them down, and even so, it's too dangerous to attempt to touch them," he said as he launched one of his blades into a beowolf's skull. It collapsed. Malachite barely dodged a swipe from another, then brought his axe straight down the creature's middle, bisecting it. He punched the next one in the face and shattered its head. He smiled. Bloodlust was his favourite feeling. Stele faced two beowolves. They rushed at him, the bigger one taking the lead. Stele dove over it, then lodged his dagger into its back. Releasing the blade and hanging on to chain, his momentum carried him towards the other beowolf. It opened its mouth to bite the oncoming hunter, eyes glowing red. These same eyes went out as Stele shoved his second dagger straight through the beowolf's top jaw, into its brain. He pulled the other beowolf towards him and, after pulling his dagger from the corpse's skull, rammed it between the creature's eyes, killing it instantly. He freed both daggers and retracted the chains. He turned to look at Malachite, who faced the last four monsters. They were wary, unwilling to pounce, and they kept their eyes locked with Malachite's. Deciding that he'd waited long enough, Malachite clicked a button near his flamethrower trigger. The shaft of the axe telescoped into itself, until Malachite held only the head of the axe, which then split into two large semi circular blades. Malachite held them at his sides and grinned. The Grimm rushed at him and attempted to rip out his throat. Putting his left blade all the way ahead of him, and his right on his chest by bending his elbow, he braced his legs. As the first Grimm closed in on him, Malachite spun viciously, slicing the beowolf from its nose to its behind. He continued on to the rest of the pack and messily, viciously ripped apart the terrified beowolves. Stomachs opened, limbs were flayed, heads decapitated, all in a whirling, green, death tornado. Stele frowned as what appeared to be a liver landed on his foot. When Malachite was finished, his armour was no longer green but dark red. He reconnected his blades and returned his axe to his back. Stele wiped some blood off his face.

"That was… interesting," he commented. Malachite grinned. "But we'll have to learn to fight together if we want to be an effective team." Stele said. Malachite nodded, then looked up at the darkening sky.

"Let's do it tomorrow. Right now, we should focus on setting up camp and organising guard duty." he said. Stele sheathed his daggers in silent agreement.

 _Crim sounds like a train,_ Naiv thought to himself as he sat outside the tent. Crim continued to snore and Naiv shook his head. It was just after dark and Naiv was halfway through his first guard shift. He sat on a rock with his bow on his lap. He'd set his visor to infrared and, in the twilight, was a menacing figure. So far everything was calm. Small rodents scampered about, and insects sang their high-pitched songs. Naiv amused himself by using his visor to spot Grimm in the forest below Blackrock. The night air felt good against his skin. He breathed in deeply.

 _I was not prepared for this,_ he thought, turning to look at Crim. _I have no idea why we were paired up. We're nothing alike. Not really._ He sighed and prodded the small fire with a stick. The night was boring. And lonely. Naiv quietly hummed to himself. Something to the right of him moved and he looked towards it, an arrow cocked. A mouse scurried out from a bush and disappeared into the darkness. Naiv sighed in relief. He was tense. Naiv yawned. And tired. _Maybe… if I close my eyes… just for a minute.._

Naiv woke up inside the tent. He resisted the urge to swear as he sat bolt upright. Crim sat on a tree stump outside, sword resting on his crossed legs. The sky was slightly bright, but the first rays of sunlight were trapped behind Blackrock. Naiv stood up and put on his bow and quiver. He approached Crim.

"Hey," he said sheepishly. Crim didn't answer. "Look, I get if you're mad. I'm sorry, I just closed my eyes and-" Crim snored loudly. Naiv stopped. Then smacked the back of Crim's head. He fell off the tree stump and cursed violently as his knee hit a rock. Naiv smiled and decided not to punish him. Crim mumbled something that sounded like a sarcastic thanks.

"We should pack up and get moving," Crim said, jumping to his feet. He woke surprisingly well. The pair set to work taking down the tent and packing equipment. They packed quickly and were ready to move within fifteen minutes. The sun had become blocked by dark clouds and the air was cool. It was a good time to travel. Naiv readied his grappling arrow, but Crim insisted that they run for a bit first.

"My head still hurts a little," he explained. Naiv sighed but conceded. As they set out two figures emerged from the bushes behind them. Crim and Naiv stopped to look at them. They were dressed in black cloaks that covered their bodies and masks that hid their faces. Naiv became cautious but Crim smiled.

"Are you guys first years too?" he asked. No answer. "I guess we've gotta race you to the top then!" No answer. Crim laughed awkwardly. Naiv put his grappling arrow back and slowly drew an aura arrow. "Come on, guys, we don't want to have to kick your asses on day two…" Crim said, grinning in anticipation. The two figures threw back their cloaks, weapons in hand. One held a black staff and the other a high tech black machine gun with a long blade running along the bottom, ending a few centimeters past the nose. Crim drew his sword and immediately threw himself at the machine gunner, taking everyone else by surprise.

"Crim, we need a strategy!", Naiv yelled, but Crim had already locked his sword with his cloaked opponent's. Naiv rolled his eyes and plucked a grey, sphere headed arrow out of his quiver and fired it at his rapidly approaching enemy's feet. It exploded into a small smokescreen. Naiv dashed out of the smoke and nimbly leaped into a tree, then notched an aura arrow and switched his visor to infrared. No figure showed in the smoke.

"What th-" Suddenly feeling a massive impact upon the back of his head, Naiv tumbled out of the tree and landed on his back. He let out a grown but instinctively rolled away, just in time as the cloaked fighter landed where he'd fallen. Naiv rolled to his feet and switched his bow into melee mode, then lunged towards his opponent. His blows were deftly deflected, and he received a staggering punch to the gut, swiftly followed by a blow to the face with the staff. He stumbled backwards and fell to the ground, before rolling away to dodge another staff dealt attack. As he stood again he notched an ice arrow and fired it at his opponent, who made the same mistake Crim had made: he blocked. The arrow exploded and ice quickly enveloped the figure. Naiv then notched three purple headed arrows, filled with electric dust and fired them in a triangle around the ice. This created an electric field which shattered the ice and sent the cloaked assailant jerking around on the floor. Naiv nodded before running towards Crim. Whilst Naiv had been occupied with his fighter, Crim had struggled with his own opponent. After clashing blades for a few seconds, the cloaked fighter had backed away and opened fire upon Crim, who dashed between trees in order to dodge. One bullet glanced his cheek and singed his skin. The bullets were fired with dust. Changing tactics, Crim dashed forwards and rapidly spun his sword, blocking bullets. The assailant was taken aback at Crim's reflexes, and was subsequently punched in the face. They tumbled down the slope and scrabbled for a handhold. Crim jumped after them and barely missed them with an overhead slash that shattered the ground. Hid opponent jumped away and switched their current clip with a much larger, darker one, with the number fifty scratched onto it. They then hit a switch that revealed a left hand grip along the side of the large gun, and held it tight. Crim barely managed to roll away as a hurricane of lead buried itself in the ground, trees, rocks, and everything else behind him. Wood splintered and stone was shattered as Crim dashed frantically about his opponent.

 _Shit,_ he thought as a tree exploded behind him. _Those are some fucking big bullets. I can't risk blocking those. Time for plan B._ Crim charged some electricity into his legs and jumped onto a branch way up, then disappeared into the foliage. The machine gunner tore the branch apart but no corpse fell. They whipped about, trying to find their target. Crim charged some electricity into his gloves. They were specially designed with conducting gems along the top of his hand and on his knuckles. These gems began to glow blue. As his opponent destroyed more trees, Crim swung under his branch and launched himself straight down, rocketing towards them.

"Gotcha!" he yelled. They looked up in time to see a bright blue fist right in front of their eyes. Then there was a flash, a tingling sensation, and darkness.

Crim flexed his wrist as his opponent lay unconscious next to him. He sighed and sheathed his sword.

"Didn't even need to split blades…" he muttered. He looked up as Naiv strolled out from a bush above.

"That was quite a move." he said. Crim smiled.

"I know we're meant to use our semblances sparingly, but that never depletes my aura. It's awesome." he said. Naiv rolled his eyes, then looked towards the collapsed warrior.

"Can he still talk?" he asked.

"I rate he'll only wake up in an hour or two. We'll get nothing out of him," Crim answered. He'd pulled back the hood to reveal the face of a man in his early twenties, with short brown hair and fine stubble.

"What about yours?" Naiv shook his head.

"I trapped her in an electric field. She'll be out for a while as well." Crim nodded and looked down the mountain. Naiv followed his gaze. They stood in contemplative silence for a while.

"So," Crim said. "... She hot?" Naiv punched him in the gut and proceeded to walk back to the gear.

"We're leaving." he said. Shouldering his pack. Crim staggered after him.

"Jesus, Naiv, do you have-" Crim stopped for a second in order to block Naiv's punch with his bracer, causing a sharp yelp.

"Do you have to hit me every time I say something bad?"

"It's unnecessary." Naiv replied, cradling his hand. Crim rolled his eyes and picked up his own kit.

"You're killing my free speech." Naiv looked at him and raised his eyebrows. Crim shrugged.

"It was worth a shot." Crim said. With a spring in his step he caught up with Naiv and the pair began the final climb to summit Blackrock.


End file.
